Not Giving Up!

Hello my long lost friends, I’ve been held captive by life & thankfully all is well!

JM is officially a big rover… and now that he’s 4 I hope to not see faces like this anymore!

It has been far too long since I’ve been here. I don’t think its even possible to bring the blog up to speed, but I’ll do my best! Those who have checked in, thank you for doing so! Life is good. Life is busy. And as many of you know… life goes by way too fast. I don’t want my children to look back on their childhood and picture me behind a computer. I think I’ve told y’all that we haven’t had cable television here at the beach for over a year, but we’ve also not had a phone line or high speed internet. Which has certainly helped cut back on my computer time drastically, which I feel certain is for the better. If you’d like to cut back on your computer time, just turn off your internet! 🙂 We use our cell phones as “hot spots” to access the internet and while it’s convenient, it’s not that practical for everyday use. Especially if you run a web-based business and write a blog. Our cell phone internet is SLOW, like slower than dial up… uploading pictures takes FOREVER! It’ll make you either want to not open your computer or throw it out the window. I’ve dropped in the public library from time to time to do some high speed surfing and it’s lightening fast… I’ve almost forgotten what a fast connection is like!

I’m here to report the kids are BIG. They are such precious blessings to us, each with their own spunky personality. They keep us on our toes, asking good questions and making us laugh all the time. It has truly been a treat to step away from the computer and be able to invest that time with them. They enjoyed their schools here at the beach, made knew friends and learned so much! Just as school was out for the summer we did VBS at the brown house {not literally} and we did VBS here at the beach. I taught the upcoming Kindergarteners here at the beach and have a renewed appreciation for school teachers & VBS teachers! Whew! There were 21 4 & 5-year-olds in my group and they about did me in. I came home everyday, made lunch and crawled in bed as soon as JM was down for his nap. It was a good & it was hard!

We are still living at the beach and love being here, it is the beach after all! Like I’ve said before, I’d be amiss if I didn’t admit that it’s complicated. We have a home, friends, family, a church, and I have a business 3 & 1/2 hours from us and we are trying to juggle both while maintaining sanity and stability for our kids {& ourselves}. We travel back the brown house about once a month and it still feels like “home” to us, even though we are just visitors breezing in and breezing out. If we knew the duration of our stay here on the coast the obvious decision would be to relocate here while the job is here, but Justin was hired almost two years ago for a 3-month duration… and those 3 months are looking more like 3 years everyday. This “unknown time frame” is not the fault of anyone, just the nature of a massive oil spill and its ripple effects that last for years.

Before sitting down to write this post I went to grab my camera bag {with camera, hard drive, & cords} and quickly realized I couldn’t find it anywhere. I’m sure hoping it’s at the brown house! So for today it will be all phone pictures {that unfortunately look a little grainy}! In a nutshell we’ve been: celebrating birthdays, riding bikes, fishing, hosting friends, hitting the pool, hitting the trail, playing softball, seeing family, sneaking in boat & island time, traveling to see friends & family, and doing our best to soak up sweet summertime before it’s over!

All of these are from Instagram {darby613 if you’re so inclined to follow along there}. If you put your mouse on the pictures below a little caption will pop up, officially called a “mouse over”. Thank you Auburn University’s Marketing on the Internet course that I took in 2001. Hugh Guffey would be proud, maybe.

Really neat tracing pads from the sweet girls at Trio Design Studio… a long overdue THANK YOU! We love them! They have provided hours and hours of entertainment for the children!

If you didn’t know, my twin sister is a total rockstar! She’s been super busy these last few months and all her hard work on the Coastal Living Ultimate Beach house has paid off! It’s open through October in Rosemary Beach, FL and it’s simply amazing. She is so incredibly talented and the house shows that. So very proud of her! This picture was taken the night of the opening party and we all had a wonderful time!!

That kind of brings me up to speed on family life! I will try not to be such a stranger and as soon as I get my paws on my camera bag and hard drive I’ll fill you in some more! And I’ve got a couple recipes to share as well!

My dear friend Lindsey is holding down the fort back at Honey Bee Tees and keeps me in line as best she can. Thank you for your continued support of Honey Bee Tees despite my major lack of blog activity. The good news {for you} is that we have oodles and oodles of inventory {including super cutedresses, new designs & new colors} and it’s time to move some out and make way for fall. So here’s a little something that I think will help! Code: SUMMER30 at checkout to save 30% through Saturday {7/14/12} at midnight!

{ps- word went out on Facebook about the sale first, be sure to follow us there to be in the loop!}

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Darby, I have missed your blog posts but totally understand the whole computer thing;) I would love to know how in the world you get yourself up soooooo early in the morning?!?!?! I want to be an early riser, but it is a constant battle for me! Your kiddos are precious and I LOVE Erica’s dress! I will be heading over to Honey Bee Tees to place my order;) Happy Summertime~

Mary Margaret

July 12, 2012 at 9:20 am

Glad to see you’re back! I’m thinking the Honey Bee tees would make perfect gifts for the little flower girls in my upcoming wedding, thanks for the sale! 🙂

Wonderful to hear that y’all are doing well!! You’re right-the kids are getting big and are each so beautiful! I think it’s great that you’re getting to spend so much quality time as a family during your time on the coast with little interruption from technology :). Your children are going to look back on this time and be so incredibly grateful to you both for living away from “home” to keep your family together and will treasure all of these priceless memories you all are making. Happy belated Birthday to Rover! We were at Rosemary a few weeks ago and saw the house Erika has been working on-just beautiful! Blessings and love to you all!

So glad you are back Darby! I just wanted to share that honey bee tees are well represented in Wilmington, NC. I was in the grocery store last week with my little man wearing one of your tees and another mother came up to me to show me her kids in honey bee tees as well. She is also a blog reader! Then the same day I was in Lowes and yet another mother asked about the shirt and said she was also one of your blog readers!

mandy

July 12, 2012 at 2:28 pm

So glad your back but I totally respect your reasons for wanting to be present with your children. I love reading your blog but i know there are other priorities! Your children are precious and time does fly! I just ordered two shirts for my wild man and I know they will be his favorites! Enjoy your weekend!!!! Mandy

Yay! Was so excited to read this post! I love following your instagram and looks like y’all are having a fun summer! Can’t wait to see the Coastal Living Beach House. Looks amazing! Blessings and hope you’re not a stranger on the blog either. Love your blog posts! xo, cat

Becky

July 12, 2012 at 8:24 pm

so happy that you checked in, was getting worried about you! haha- glad Summer is treating you well!

Konie

July 12, 2012 at 8:57 pm

Welcome back!!! I just text Abby to let her know you blogged!! We are both here in bham to help with Caroline and new baby:) Glad you are having time with family and less technology but know you are missed:) I went through the coastal living house with Kendall and it is A U S O M E :)))) Happy Summer and hope to see u soon:))

Are there rules about stealing other blogger’s pix? I WANT that thunderhead-at-sunset-O-My.
And thank you for your openness about being Jesus followers. Some of us with bulging stomachs, grey teeth and a knack for tactlessness are better off remaining silent on that count. Your healthy hearts and tasteful talents give the Body of Christ a LIFT, esp in smiles.

Heather Romero

I was so glad to “check in” and see a new post! My fam is headed down to OBA in the morning for the week and I’m secretly hoping to bump in to you on Rob Island or somewhere!! 🙂 Your pictures look so familiar ~ we usually frequent the same places when we visit. I understand the need to step back from technology and the computer. Just know there are people out there who check every few days for a new post! Have a great weekend!

Hey girl! It’s good to hear from you again! You are missed on these blogging breaks. Love the updates and pictures. How do you get such good pics w/ the camera phone? I need to be better about getting creative w/ mine…anyway, I ordered HBTs. Can’t wait to see them – my first order. Excited about the fall styles, too! Just a thought – wonder if you could do a Toomer’s Tree (or a take-off of it…). Not sure if THAT is against university policy…don’t need you to get in trouble again 🙂

hjc

So glad to see you posting! I check back every now and then. It’s good to take a break a live life. On my blog, I’ve only been posting every 10 days or so until….. I just lost my job. 🙁

Incidentally, if anyone would like to add me and Oliver to their prayer list, that would be wonderful! I fully trust God has something better in store.

Living in two places cannot be easy, but blessings to you for finding a way to bring the family together. Now that I am living life as a single mother (not by my choice) I realize (too late) that it doesn’t matter where one lives, as long as those you love the most — you and your husband and children — are together in one place. The rest is difficult, but if the family can stay united, that is what is thee most important.

Glad to hear from you!

Andrea

Justine

So glad you’re not giving up! And good for you with no cable, phone line, or internet! I’ve often wanted to take a break from internet for a while {we’ve rarely ever had cable}, but I use it so much for recipes for dinner that I’m skeerd to. 🙂 Love all your pictures of beach life…grainy or not. Post whenever you’re able!

I love checking in on your blog and seeing that you have not posted (almost as much as I love when you do post:) You encourage me to live in real life and to be present with my little guy. I will never forget the post where you said “one day I will be lonesome for my children.” It’s so true, AND I liked that you used the word lonesome:) People do not say that so much in Boston:)

It is so good to hear from you on here, Darby! We’ve missed you for sure and missed the sweet updates about your family, but I totally get the desire to just be with your family. That is as it should be!!! I can’t believe how different your little ones look. They’ve really grown!

Jennifer Morena

July 19, 2012 at 1:24 pm

So nice to see a post from you! I completely understand how life takes over…my own attempt at blogging was short lived for that very reason! 🙂 Glad you’re all well and enjoying summer!!

marcia

I for some reason didn’t realize you all were living in the fairhope/mobile area! Many many summers were spent at Dauphin Island going to the little thatch roof hut to get burgers and snow cones How exciting to start reading that you are exactly where I grew up. I remember quite well our summers swimming in Mobile Bay at my grandmother’s house. Love it!

Your pictures are so great! I am glad to know that your honey harvest did so well this year! We just became 1st time bee keepers this summer and I can’t wait to see what our harvest will be next year!

Ashley S.

September 3, 2012 at 11:22 am

Miss you, hope all is well. Can’t wait for an update!

Ashley S.

September 3, 2012 at 11:22 am

Miss you, hope all is well. Can’t wait for an update!

Cristina

September 8, 2012 at 8:33 pm

I’ve followed you for ever…..when you first started and became so very popular and loved. Now you stopped and left us wondering…..I guess we miss seeing your great posts and following the ups and downs of your little rovers. Hope you come back someday!!!!!

Julie

September 14, 2012 at 9:49 pm

I think she’s given up.

kathleen

September 15, 2012 at 5:53 pm

too bad a tax accountant can’t see the value of a sat internet connection as a business expense for the honey bee tees and pine needle straw sales if a mention of the tee is sufficiently parlayed as to justify said endeavor everyone will be benefiting er happy er deducting er reading er staying sane — it is therapy, therapy, I say, a fix of the fly –this is food for the soul –it is a motivational speaker business on line session we need to hear the word. oh my did I get carried away.

kathleen

September 26, 2012 at 12:33 am

It just occurred to me. DS cannot read all these comments!! unless she visits the library. And takes the time to sign up and well she instagrams. But the guy at work which I asked “do you have instagram?” and then when I asked him to follow or whatever the 2st century term is — offering Darby613 as an entry— it sounded so un flythroughmywindowish harmlessish What is this , who is this he demanded?? as the page loaded on his smart phone. LOL that was a couple weeks ago on break in the swing room.

Lexi

September 27, 2012 at 7:56 am

Still missing your posts Darby!!!! Yours was my very favorite of all of the blogs!! I keep thinking how hard it must be living so far away from your “real home” for such a long period of time…

Molly

October 10, 2012 at 2:03 pm

I just wanted to let you know that your blog is such an encouragement – I like seeing how you raise your children in the light of God’s truths. You share such wonderful ideas & recipes – thank you!

maryellen forcillo

October 10, 2012 at 5:57 pm

we need an update GF!!!! its been months! Your blog followers are curious about what’s up!! Hope you had a great summer.

Jennifer

October 21, 2012 at 11:56 am

Have you given up on blogging? Every so often I check to see if there is anything new but I’m guessing that maybe blogging doesn’t fit into this season of your life….. I don’t blame you – the computer is such a time-sucker, better to just live your live! Wishing you every blessing.
Jennifer

Meredith W.

October 24, 2012 at 7:17 am

Don’t try to catch us up on what’s happened the last few months. It’s too much! Just pop in like you used to with a recipe, a craft, or what book you’re reading. Snippets of your life are great too, but if you try to catch us up you’ll never find enough time to post! I so looked forward to reading your thoughts. You have been especially encouraging to me as a young mom, and I miss your ramblings.

BethA

October 25, 2012 at 9:02 am

I’m with Meredith W, you don’t have to cover the last several months. Just please, please, please start posting again! Pretty please!

kathleen

November 3, 2012 at 7:46 am

Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you make it up to internet I mean Indiana for the holiday.

kathleen

November 6, 2012 at 10:04 am

Don’t forget to vote.

tara

November 6, 2012 at 5:58 pm

In serious Darby drought!! Miss your words of wisdom! I am with Callie!

kathleen

November 12, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Don’t fall off the fiscal cliff. Happy Thanksgiving Day, Merry Christmas, Happy new Year. we need closure. don’t we, maybe not. I visit Reggie darling not the same but he posts about his cute pug.

sara

Kelly

December 18, 2012 at 11:43 pm

We miss you, Darby! I used your salt dough recipe to make ornaments with my kids for the third year in a row this weekend. It made me think of you and miss you! I hope all is well wit your precious family.

Rebecca

December 24, 2012 at 3:58 pm

Hope you’ll return to the blog when you get a chance. No long updates necessary, just a little post to say “hello” would be great. We really appreciate reading your posts (if you don’t believe me, look up at the previous messages). Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Sleeplessin New Orleans

December 29, 2012 at 1:41 am

What’s that I mell? What do I mell? Oh I know I mell my toots. Good grief I have resorted to “older posts” for a DS fix LOL

Susan berry

January 2, 2013 at 12:38 pm

I miss you SO SO much dear Darby! Pleaseeeee come back to us!

Ashley S.

January 2, 2013 at 10:23 pm

I agree! We all MISS Darby!

Caroline

January 3, 2013 at 12:25 pm

MISS YOUR FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holly

January 7, 2013 at 6:29 am

I keep checking back hoping you and your family are okay! So enjoy reading your posts – hope to see more soon!

Kathie

January 9, 2013 at 7:57 pm

I too miss reading your post and hope all is well with your family.

Jennifer

January 10, 2013 at 11:31 pm

I still check about once a week, hoping you’ll pop in with a little update on your sweet family! Hoping all is well . . . You are missed!

Sleeplessin New Orleans

January 13, 2013 at 5:19 pm

You have a twin sis what luck she blogs too. She is Urban and with such Grace. LOL

Carol

January 30, 2013 at 7:44 pm

Darby—I miss you and your posts so much. You were one of my favorite blogs. Trusting everything is okay with you and your precious family

Bethany

February 1, 2013 at 6:17 pm

I came directly to your blog today thinking maybe my google reader was malfunctioning or something and not notifying me of any new posts that you might be posting. Alas, I see it’s not malfunctioning. I miss your fun posts and your heavenly pictures…I’m always transported to a beautiful place when I look at them. It’s a mental vacation for me. Please post again!

Sleeplessin New Orleans

Sleeplessin New Orleans

February 15, 2013 at 12:03 pm

Just had to check in. My copy of Amy Vanderbilt’s the complete cookbook has drawings by Andrew Warhol. I never gave the simple pen and ink drawings much thought until I saw the name of the artist. It made me think of your charming t-shirts and the art work D.S. creates. Perhaps art is your passion these days ……

CAROLINE

February 21, 2013 at 8:24 pm

I second “kasey” – bueller? is right. I miss your posts and wish youd come back to blogging. Hope all is well! 🙂

Stacy

February 27, 2013 at 5:29 pm

I agree….we want a post 🙂

May

March 2, 2013 at 1:45 am

Well, this is disappointing. Today marks the day that I am officially removing this blog from my reader. You will be missed. I’ve transitioned over to reading Ourfamilyunit.com which seems to have equally cute kids and a oddly familiar layout.

Grim Reaper

March 6, 2013 at 6:23 pm

This blog is dead. Go on and find a new blog folks. The Grim Reaper has spoken.

Disappointed

March 8, 2013 at 1:29 pm

Well, funny how Honey Bee tee’s website and facebook for Honey Bee tees is going strong. So obviously it’s not lack of internet connection or time. Seems to me like someone took advantage of their following to promote a new business venture and sucker in a bunch of customers. How sad that not one or two minutes could be found to just post and say “hey, not going to do the blog anymore, too many other priorities”. Disappointed now that I ever devoted time to this blog. 🙁

Sleeplessin New Orleans

March 9, 2013 at 1:06 am

Hey now don’t be sad. Mrs Stickler put much time and effort into the blog when the kids were toddlers and we Moms know family comes first. We know Darby has been juggling raising a family maintaining two households and well I have to give this Marketing major credit she has moved to a new technology from what I understand she is on Instagram today tomorrow some new kid on the technoblock may appear and sweep her off her feet. I will never forget the snake charming husband post Ce la vie that is French dear, for Such is life.

Sleeplessin New Orleans

March 12, 2013 at 2:56 pm

Nevermind Darby613 is on webstagram hope this helps

Jaime Caldwell

March 16, 2013 at 9:28 pm

Hi, Darby! Was just thinking about you and missing your blog today. It has always been a sweet slice of the south for this now Brooklynite who’s homesick for sweet home Alabama. I hope you and your sweet family are doing great!

sharon in seattle

Michealene

May 7, 2013 at 4:26 pm

Welcome back! So glad things are well! Would you mind sharing where your sister purchase her beautiful red striped dress… I have been looking everywhere for a dress just like that for a summer wedding I am attending. Many thanks… Will make my day!

Kathleen

June 7, 2013 at 10:14 am

Best Birthday wishes to you Darby613 on Webstagram. If the blog is fallow the Webstagram presence is in full bloom. Have a happy safe summer.

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Kathleen

October 10, 2013 at 12:02 pm

If you read your blog comments DS. Please consider looking into Junior Achievement Parents volunteer to teach units once a week thru hands on scripted activities/lesson plans. It was enjoyable for me and I was not a marketing major. The community unit has a rap about a quarter and well I was able to find it after an internet seach. The JA of St Louis has a great web site for those interested as to what it is about. Bring JA to your classroom today!!

Tee

Missy

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Serene

December 14, 2013 at 11:58 am

This post was posted on my birthday! July 12th!!!

Kathleen

January 4, 2014 at 7:00 pm

Happy New Year 2014. Wanted to go on record to see if blog official canned. Anyway, also wanted to go on record selecting Auburn Tigers as the historic last BCS champions. Yes this is the last BCS game as a new fangled method in choosing teams to play goes into play. And cities get to woo bowls to host in their fair city.

Mackie

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Elisa

February 16, 2014 at 5:17 am

Miss reading your blog!
An Italian reader

kathleen

March 15, 2014 at 9:40 am

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Miia

August 27, 2014 at 3:08 am

Bittersweet all those recent comments so kind after all the great blogging years this blog has existed and just now paused.

I miss this blog and the writings. At the same time I am happy and gratefull I ran into them at the very hard period of my life. It was an enormous source of energy, zest of life and the excistence of good in human being.

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Dee

September 16, 2014 at 9:12 am

I still check the blog in hopes you will post something :). Not to sound like a stalker, but I “follow” you on instagram and I’m hoping to see pics of the #newoldhouse and hear how life is on the coast. praying that you and your dear family are enjoy the grace of our Lord.
Blessings,
Dee

kathleen

September 19, 2014 at 10:40 am

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